1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile system having an image recorder or printer capable of recording an image using a toner.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In a recording or printing apparatus wherein an image is recorded in a matrix of dots by deposition of a toner at selected ones of local spots corresponding to the picture elements of the dot matrix, it is desired to save the toner, namely, minimize the amount of consumption of the toner. An example of an image recording apparatus which is operable in a toner save mode for reducing the toner consumption is disclosed in JP-A-2-144574 (published in 1990), which includes (a) a recording portion for recording an image with a toner on a recording medium in a matrix of dots, (b) a non-toner-save control portion for controlling the recording portion in a non-toner-save mode according to original image data representative of an original image to be reproduced, (c) a toner-save control portion for controlling the recording portion in a toner-save mode according to toner-save image data representative of a toner-save image whose density of image dots is lower than that of the original image and which is recognizable as an image similar to the original image, and (d) an operator-controlled mode selector switch for selecting one of the non-toner save and toner-save control portions to effect recording in the corresponding one of the non-toner-save and toner-save modes.
The toner-save control portion for controlling the recording portion in the toner-save mode includes image-dot determining means for determining, on the basis of the original image data, whether an image dot is formed at each local spot or picture element position of the matrix. The image-dot determining means is adapted to generate toner-save image data so that where image dots are to be formed at two or more successive local spots in a line (row) or column of the dot matrix according to the original image data, the image dots to be actually formed are omitted at every other local spot of those successive local spots. If the image dots are to be formed according to the original image data at three successive local spots in a certain line, for example, the image dot is actually omitted at the intermediate one of the three successive local spots. The omission of the image dots in a line or column is effected uniformly over the entire line or column.
Thus, the image-dot determining means of the toner-save control portion of the apparatus described above is arranged to perform a data processing operation for each local spot or picture element position of the dot matrix, to determine whether an image dot is actually formed at each local spot according to the toner-save image data.
When the non-toner-save control portion is selected by manual operation of the mode selector switch, the recording portion is controlled in the non-toner-save mode according to the original image data. When the toner-save control portion is selected by the mode selector switch, the recording portion is controlled in the toner-save mode according to the toner-save image data generated as described above.
However, the user of the recording apparatus must manipulate the mode selector switch to select the toner-save or non-toner-save mode. This manipulation is cumbersome.
The selection of the non-toner-save or toner-save recording mode should desirably be made depending upon the type of the original image data. However, the user of the apparatus does not necessarily recognize that the recording mode should be selected depending upon the type of the original image data. Further, the user does not necessarily know the type of the original image data used to reproduce an image, and is not always able to select one of the recording modes that better suits the type of the original image data.